input needed | ADHD Information

my son is almost 10, he weighs 60lbs and was on adderall xr 20,zoloft. the dr is trying vyanaise tomorrow. josh was on prozac before still not happy, and risperdol made him hyper, and i can't see that zoloft is doing much. the last couple of days he's been hiding his math homework in his desk,instead of bringing it home and working on it. so everyday the teachers are getting on me because he's not turning in the homework. so this morning the math teacher asked him where his math homework was and he said i wish i was dead. so then automatcally he was sent to the counselor,and i was called. i told her that his adhd meds are changing and he is supposed to start clonidine tomorrow too. i don't know what to do,but pray the these new meds will work,i'm getting to the end of my rope.Your sons weight and age have nothing to do with the effectiveness of adhd meds and based on your sons behaviors, his issues seem to go way beyond adhd. You mention he was on risperdol. Was he also diagnosed with bipolar disorder? If your son also has bipolar disorder, meds for adhd can trigger a mania. The fact tthat your son is saying he wishes he was dead is very alarming. Have you alerted his doctor? This sounds very serious. I wish you theh best and I hope your son can get the help he needs.the math has been a problem,but he was getting c's. i enrolled him the extra help class at school that meets 1 day a week after school for math. it seems like the adding fractions,percents,and decimals have really got him confused. he has'nt yet mastered addition,sub. and multi. he was given riserdal as a behavior helper as well as help with his lack of eating.today was the first day of vyanasise(sp) he seems very hyper.i asked him how did he feel on it,he said hyper. I don't know why the prozac and zoloft does'nt uplight him at all. right now his ped. is doing the meds, in my area there are no child psych. I took him to reg. one and it was like he was a number, not listening at all, just here's new meds, come back in 2 or 3 mths. I would do anything to help josh see what a good life he has but nothing works.

[QUOTE=Jessica N]Yes, weight does have a role in the effectiveness of ADHD meds. That's why psychiatrists ask the weight when prescribing meds.

This is not correct. Non stimulants are weight based but not stimulant medications. This information is recited over and over on this message board. Heere is a quote from the Chadd website:

 

The specific dose and timing of medication must be determined for each individual. However, there are no consistent relationships between height, age and clinical response to a medication. A medication trial is often used to determine the most beneficial dosage. The trial usually begins with a low dose that is gradually increased at 3-7 day intervals until clinical benefits are achieved. It is common for the dosage to be raised several times during the trial.

In addition, the individual is monitored both on and off the medication. For children, observations are collected from parents and teachers, even coaches and tutors, and parent and teacher rating scales are often used. In all cases, the appropriate dose must be tailored to the individual patient and monitored by the prescribing medical professional to make any needed adjustments.

Jessica N wrote:
This behavior does not sound "way beyond adhd" to me.

 

Regardless of what it sounds like to you, the child is on meds that are also given for bipolar disorder and depression disorder. These meds are generally not the protocal for adhd standing alone. The prescribed medication is for something more than adhd What the child has or doesnt have is for a specialist to determine. Joshsmom, do you have a chidlren's hospital near you? They normally have a team of specialists. This poor child is in turmoil and should not have to go through an entire summer or life  period feeling like he does.

the dr told me that when trying risperdal it was another med that has a side effect of weight gain. josh has been underweight since he was 8 mths old. the childrens hosp. is 3 almost 4 hours from here,and you need a drs referal to go there,the drs won't do that, they all think they can manage. i've yet to see a adhd med. work good for josh, the adderall xr was the best yet,he's been on that for a yr and a half. Josh is'nt bipolar, he is always negative never ever positive about anything. even after a day at a fair or amusement park and josh rides all the rides that he is big enough for, you can ask him, was that a fun day josh, and he'll reply no not really,i did'nt get to do much.

oshsmom wrote: he dr told me that when trying risperdal it was another med that has a side effect of weight gain

Yes, thats a common side effect of risperdal but my point was that such a medicatiion is normally given for bipolar disorder. Not to say that your son has it. I hope you can find some real solutions. 

This behavior does not sound "way beyond adhd" to me. Jessica N40017.9069097222i know,i think the drs thought that since josh needed weight and had behavior issues why not try it, i think his behaviors got worse after those meds. josh has also stomach issues,he was taking reglan but the drs took him off,some new fda warning,has any who tried vyanase given it a few days to see the effects or is it one of those that you know right away if you need an increase.Have you considered having him evaluated for a learning disability?Jessica N40017.907337963